UNICEF demands release of schoolchildren abducted in Borno

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called on the Borno State and Federal Governments to accelerate efforts to secure the release of 78 schoolchildren abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.

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We are worried about the abduction of children not only in Borno State, but in Nigeria at large. School should be a safe place for them. They come here to learn and grow themselves.

UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative, Dr. Rownak Khan, expressed concern over the rising abductions in Borno and Nigeria, emphasizing that schools should be safe havens for learning and growth. She stated, “We are worried about the abduction of children not only in Borno State, but in Nigeria at large. School should be a safe place for them. They come here to learn and grow themselves.”

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However, it is a complex issue which is related to the overall security situation in the country. We are advocating for all the partners involved and joining voices to release those children.

Khan noted that UNICEF is collaborating with the Borno State Government to implement safe-school protocols, acknowledging the complexity tied to the broader security situation. "However, it is a complex issue which is related to the overall security situation in the country. We are advocating for all the partners involved and joining voices to release those children,” she said.

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Once we have seen the children released, we will work with the government to reintegrate them, provide psychosocial support and nutrition, health and so on.

UNICEF has committed to providing psychosocial assistance, nutrition, and health services to the children once they are released and reintegrated. Khan stressed that ensuring the safety of Nigerian children and securing their release is the government's ultimate responsibility. The abductions include 42 pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School and 36 students and one teacher from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa.

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At the end of the day, they are Nigerian children, so it is the ultimate responsibility of the government of Nigeria to make sure that, first, they are not abducted, and secondly, put all the effort to release those children back to their families.